UPCOMING Â This Saturday (Sept. 8) the Waves travel to Huntington Beach to compete in the Asics UC Irvine Invitational. Pepperdine will compete against 15 colleges in their respective races. The women’s 5,000-meter race will begin at 9 a.m., followed by the five-mile men’s race at 9:45 a.m.

MALIBU OCEANSIDE INVITATIONAL Â Junior Brie Carroll led the Waves to a second-place finish at the Malibu Oceanside Invitational last Saturday (Sept. 1). Carroll placed second overall with a time of 18:58 for the three-mile course. Freshman Conrad Wozniak finished first for the men’s team and third overall in 16:11.

Rounding out the top five for the women were freshman Paige Knudsen (19:41), junior Courtney Young (20:00), freshman ChelseaWishard (20:05) and freshman Lily Spratt (20:58). Freshman Seth Allison (16:43) finished second for the men followed by fellow freshmen Eric Magana (16:50), Isaiah White (17:06) and David Williams (17:07).

HEAD COACH Â Robert Radnoti begins his second season as head coach of the Pepperdine men’s and women’s cross country program. Radnoti previously coached at Thousand Oaks High School where his girls' team won the Division I state cross country title in 2005. Radnoti brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the program.

ASSISTANT COACHES Â Four-time Olympian and U.S. national 800-meter record holder Johnny Gray joins the Pepperdine cross country program this season. Gray will work primarily on speed and technique. Dick Kampman, the former Wave’s cross country coach for seventeen years, returns as a volunteer coach. Karen Costello, a 17-year veteran at the high school and community college levels, begins her first season at Pepperdine. Jan Radnoti, who has coached alongside her husband at Thousand Oaks High School, also begins her first year with the Waves as a volunteer assistant.

PEPPERDINE HISTORY Â Pepperdine’s cross country program dates back to the 1960s when Ron Pettigrew and Harry Skandera were both All-American runners. The program was dropped when Pepperdine moved its campus to Malibu. However, men’s and women’s cross country was reinstated in the mid-1970s. This year’s women’s squad is the largest in the history of the Pepperdine program.

2007 OUTLOOK Â Due to Radnoti’s extensive recruiting efforts, the Waves roster includes strength and depth this season. With 18 recruits from Indiana to Hawaii, this year’s men’s and women’s freshman class should be one of the strongest in Pepperdine history.

On the men’s side, nine new harriers join returners Josh Stutzman and Tim Hatters. Chris Ogle, Conrad Wozniak, Seth Allison, Henri Flores, David Williams, Garrett Reim and Eric Magna are among the newcomers looking to challenge for one the top seven spots on the team.

PEPPERDINE INVITATIONAL Â A high school division was added to the annual Pepperdine Invitational this year. Ninety high school from all over the United States will travel to Malibu to compete at the Pepperdine Invitational. Fifteen colleges and universities will lead off the competition at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 22.

NEXT WEEK Â The Waves travel to Portland next Friday (Sept. 14) for the Pier Park Preview.